Yamaha Motor adopts recycled steel for motorcycle shipment packaging

02 Aug 2024 --- Yamaha Motor has begun using low-carbon, recycled steel sheets produced in electric furnaces as a raw material for the packaging frames used to ship its motorcycles. The company will be gradually expanding the use of the material going forward.

This is the first time in Japan that steel sheets from electric furnaces have been used for packaging frames for motorcycles.

“Starting in October 2024, Yamaha Motor will begin to use these recycled steel sheets from Tokyo Steel Manufacturing (Tokyo Steel) for its packaging frames for motorcycle shipments, with plans to gradually expand the scope of their use in stages going forward, thereby increasing the ratio of recycled materials used in its packaging frames,” details the company.

These steel sheets are recycled materials produced by melting scrap iron in an electric furnace and then rolling them into sheets. The steel is made primarily from scrap iron acquired from sources like demolished buildings, discarded home appliances and scraped automobiles.

“Compared to conventional materials made from iron ore and coke that are melted in a blast furnace, these materials produce significantly less CO2 during their production,” highlights Yamaha Motor. 

The recycled steel’s material characteristics, quality and suitability for use in packaging frames have been trialed and proven through a collaboration between Tokyo Steel and Yamaha Motor.

Yamaha Motor, in line with its Yamaha Motor Group Environmental Plan 2050, is working toward being carbon-neutral throughout all of its supply chains, including the company’s business activities by 2050.

Last month, Steel for Packaging Europe, formerly the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging, reportedly broke a “record” recycling rate for steel packaging, following moves to harmonize calculating packaging recycling rates within the EU.

Packaging Insights previously caught up with Ásdís Virk Sigtryggsdóttir, chief commercial officer at Iceland-based metal company DTE, to discuss current global supply chain bottlenecks in the metals trade brought on by mounting geopolitical instability and energy supply shortages.